As one of the most prestigious institutes of Korean technological and scientific scholarship, KAIST has encountered very little trouble in a very relevant yet little-discussed educational problem: securing its students’ employment after their graduation. Indeed, even as youth unemployment in Korea continues to fester, KAIST graduates have continued to make their contributions to society by t

Every May brings with it the annual school festival, but it's not all fun and games for the students at KAIST, who are required to attend all their classes during this period. Is it right to keep the students back in class or should they be given the opportunity to enjoy themselves for this exciting occasion? The KAIST Herald has its say on the issue.

KAIST President Nam Pyo Suh, in an exclusive interview with The KAIST Herald, discusses his views on the tragic deaths of five members of the KAIST family last April, and gives considerable insight into the plans he has for KAIST to deal with all the recently raised problems.

As part of celebrating the 40th anniversary of KAIST, The KAIST Herald had a chance to interview our university’s longest-serving professor. Professor Dong-Wan Tcha of KAIST Business School was appointed as professor in 1975 and has witnessed several big changes in KAIST over the past 40 years. Professor Tcha shared some of the more vivid stories with The KAIST Herald.

From April 18 to May 7, students opened Cafe Chaeum as part of a class project. Chaeum proposed the theme “philanthropic and healthy shop,” with long-term goals of offering free barista lessons, providing jobs and donating proceeds to low-income Korean families. The KAIST Herald interviewed Jang Heon Kim and Eun-ji Lim, who were serving fair trade coffee and organic We Can Cookies at Cafe Chaeum.

I am currently an Electrical Engineering senior. With a URP grant right after my first semester, I was introduced to the research world. At that moment I felt confident that KAIST was indeed striding towards the higher positions among the world’s top universities by boldly investing funds allowing its undergraduates to delve into graduate school practices long before graduation. But are we really?

Nayan Kalita, a senior majoring in Electrical Engineering was appointed president. Beginning his term in a very turbulent period, he managed to lead KISA through some small incidents and also successfully organized the KAIST International Food Festival with the support of IRT. The KAIST Herald interviewed him about his impressions and aspirations as KISA president.

International students are an important part of KAIST society. Entering with proficient English skills, they help provide a great English-speaking environment. Hailing from various nations, they enrich the cultural experience at KAIST. Domestic students learn how to work with people from various backgrounds while spending time with international students.

Sometimes, I don’t feel good about myself. However, there are some points that I like about myself as well. I like my natural hair color and I am perfectly satisfied with my height. I have a cheerful personality and get along with people easily. The thing that I feel proudest of about myself is that I have a habit of working out every day for one and a half hours, rain or shine.

It all began on December 18, 2010 in Tunisia, when Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-immolation against police corruption and ill-treatment stimulated, at first, protests within the country. His death was merely a trigger that set fire to the wick of discontentment of the people that had accumulated over the long years of dictatorship.

With the recent passing of four KAIST undergraduate students over a brief, three-month period, the question on everybody's mind is: why did they make that fatal decision? Students and professors of KAIST, not to mention politicians and journalista have all expressed their own views. Now e examine the reasonings offered by The KAIST Herald.

KAIST Counseling Center is service located on the 3rd floor of Tae Wul Gwan. It is a place people can visit to seek help when they need someone to talk to. Professional psychiatric help and various other psychiatric tests are also available.

Although I think it is really unlikely, you might have never heard this word before. Yet, if you considered searching on Wikipedia the meaning of that word, you are really prone to procrastinate even more. According to Wikipedia procrastination “refers to the act of replacing high-priority actions with tasks of low priority, and thus putting off important tasks to a later time.”

Per angusta ad augusta. This is Latin for “through difficulties to greatness,” or “through rough ravines to hallowed heights.” It is not possible to achieve great results without suffering by squeezing through narrow spaces. Having this maxim engraved in one’s heart will help the individual overcome times of hardship.

On February 17, a new club called KUAT was founded. KUAT is the first cultural club at KAIST that has a common regional background as its basis of foundation. The KAIST Herald met with Yerbol Absalyamov, the founder and representative member of the club, to learn more about KUAT.

On March 30, a piece of writing titled “The social murder of President Suh’s world” was uploaded on the KAIST community website Ara. It was written from the perspective of a freshman regarding current tragic suicides. The writing quickly earned sympathy among students and the writer held a one-man demonstration to criticize the lack of communication between students and President Suh.

While most freshmen at KAIST enter the university in February, there are those students, commonly referred to as “hoogies,” who enter in the fall semester. Most of these students have graduated from international schools or high schools outside of Korea. Though these students have been enrolled at KAIST since 1998, there has not been an official organization to support them.

April 7, 2011. While people affected by the devastating Japanese earthquake last month continued to suffer, the first smatterings of radioactive spring rain finally arrived on Korean soil. The panicked reactions of some media outlets notwithstanding, many experts agreed that for the time being, radioactive iodine-131 and cesium-137 levels in the rainwater were low enough to be virtually harmless.

Many things may characterize what living as a Korean in Korea means to a person. Some say it’s the love for Kimchi, while others say the fast way of life. Personally, I say that it is the infinite, never-ending, deadly competition with other Koreans.

The merits of taking attendance in class came into question late last semester as it was discovered that students faking illness in order to receive doctor’s notes so they could skip class. Is attendance the only way to measure student commitment? Or is there an alternative yet to be considered?